You're like a 'F'ing Space Ninja
by MrsEclipse9856
Summary: It's not a love story... but maybe it is. Sulu/Fem!Kirk
1. Chapter 1

This sucks. Plain and simple.

This is what she gets for doing everything Christopher Pike asks her to do. The man literally said 'jump,' and Jamie Kirk suited up to do just that. At least she managed to land on the drill, unlike Engineer Olsen, who didn't pull his chute in time. He was sucked under and into the damn thing.

Jamie and Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu had to fight a couple of big Romulans before they destroyed the drill the Romulan ship was using to put a hole in Vulcan. She didn't get to watch him a lot but she caught a few of his moves. 'Fencing, my ass' she thought to herself when she spotted the helmsman with the katana. He had to have had some other training, Kendo, if Jamie had to guess. Her musing was cut short because they had a job to do.

Using some ingenuity -guns, big ones- they took down the drill and reported to the Enterprise that the Romulans had dropped something into the planet. They were waiting to be beamed up but the drill moved before the Enterprise got a lock on them.

"Sulu!" She turned to look at the officer standing with her on the drill just in time to watch as he fell off. Jamie didn't think before she jumped after him. It wasn't like she had any other options, he was going to die without her, "Sulu!"

She careened through the Vulcan sky aimed at catching her classmate, "Hold on." Then she slammed right into him, "I gotcha. Now pull my chute." He held onto her and did as she told him but it only lasted for a few seconds as the chute registered that their combined weight was just too much and snapped, "Kirk to Enterprise! We're falling without a chute!" She didn't know what the ship was doing but they needed help, "Beam us up! Beam us up!"

They both heard the officer on the other end, "You're moving too fast."

She was not dying like this, not today, "Beam us up! Enterprise, where are you?" They were getting to close to the ground, "Now! Now! Now! Do it now! Now! Now! Now!" Her eyes locked with Sulu's just as the familiar swirl of the transporter surrounded them and dropped them on the pad. They hit it hard but they were both alive so Jamie was calling it a win.

"Thanks," Sulu sighed when he looked at her.

She chuckled, "No problem."

* * *

Fighting with Spock wasn't fun but the man was an emotional mess, his older self told Jamie as much on Delta Vega before telling her to get him to admit it. She expected a lot of things but the usually stoic man swinging at her wasn't one of them. She blocked Spock's attacks just fine but the fact that nobody jumped in was a little shocking too, although she did see security keeping Sulu back.

If she wasn't busy with Spock, she would glare at her best friend, he didn't do anything to help her. The security officers need a lot of mental help if they think it's okay to pin a woman down with a hand around her neck but she really had more important things to worry about. The Vulcan strangling her could see inside her mind, damn touch telepaths.

Jamie showed him her pain, the reality of being an orphan and she was hoping that he would loosen his grip so she could breathe. Spock stopped; she should thank his dad for helping her out. Jamie slowly stood up and looked around. Her best friend glared at her, "Well, congratulations, Jim. Now we've got no captain and no goddamn first officer to replace him."

She stepped over and sat in the chair, "Yeah we do."

Bones looked at her, "What?"

"Pike made her first officer," it was Sulu who backed her up.

"You've gotta be kidding me," the surly doctor looked at her.

Jamie was sure the hurt shone in her eyes, "Thanks for the support."

Uhura, also known as the girl who hates her for no real reason, stepped next to her, "I sure hope you know what you're doing, Captain."

Jamie took a breath and looked Uhura in the eyes, "So do I."

The looks everyone on the bridge gave her told Jamie that none of them expected that answer.

* * *

They had a plan.

It was a Hail Mary kind of plan but it was still a plan. Jamie and Spock were going to go to the enemy ship, steal the black hole device and rescue the one person who always gave a damn about her, even when she didn't give a damn about herself.

"Transporter room. We are in position above Titan," it was Sulu over the comm.

"Really? Good job, Sulu, well done." She glanced at the engineer next to her, "How are we, Scotty?"

"Unbelievable, Captain," the energetic Scot told her. "The ship is in position."

She nodded and turned her attention back to the helmsman she couldn't see, "Whatever happens Mister Sulu, if you think you have the tactical advantage you fire on that ship, even if we're still on board. That's an order."

"Yes, ma'am. Good luck, Jamie."

"Thanks, Hikaru," she smiled, even thought he couldn't see it. "Good luck to you too." She took a breath as she closed the connection.

* * *

They did it, a bunch of cadets and a Human/Vulcan Hybrid saved Earth. Jamie wanted to jump for joy but she was too sore and too tired. It was gonna take a few days to get home, but she didn't care, she just wanted to lay down. That's easier said than done when you don't have a room. Jamie wasn't supposed to be on the ship, Bones smuggled her aboard. She didn't have… well, anything.

"You can room with me." She looked over at the officer standing with her in the turbolift. She raised an eyebrow and he chuckled, "You aren't supposed to be here and you gave Pike's room to the Elders which means you don't have quarters. You can share with me if you want. It's small and I was assigned a roommate but the room is still in one piece, which seems to be the winning factor around here."

Bones kicked them off the bridge and ordered the young acting senior staff to get some rest. She had been running the options in her head of the possible places she could sleep. None of them were appealing but Sulu was saving her the added headache. Jamie smiled, "I… Thanks, Hikaru."

"No big deal," he said with a shrug. They walked to crew quarters and he keyed in the code for his door. The room was standard like all the others, they didn't have time before they left to do anything but drop off their gear and change uniforms. "Make yourself at home." She chuckled but didn't say anything as she dropped into the chair next to his desk.

"Where's your roommate?" Jamie asked, mostly out of curiosity.

Sulu checked his PADD, "According to this thing, my roommate is Lieutenant JG Sumner, Jackson, M. Engineering. He's on duty." She nodded; all the engineers seemed to be on duty. Sulu dug around in his bag for a moment then tossed a t-shirt and a pair of shorts at her, "They'll be a little big on you but I doubt you want to sleep in a dirty uniform. Should probably burn that stuff."

"Thanks for this," she smiled.

"Well, you did kinda jump off a drill for me, so…" He let the end of the sentence drop but Jamie understood what he was saying. She saved his life, Jamie didn't have to jump for him but she did it anyway.

They knew each other well enough since they were at the top of the command track, but they weren't exactly close. They didn't even bother to compete with each other like a lot of cadets did, neither of them ever saw the point in it. He was a helmsman who liked science, she was a tactician who liked engineering.

Jamie pulled her boots off, grabbed the clothes he gave her and slipped into the bathroom to take a quick shower. She didn't want to use his water allowance, so she opted for the sonic shower. Jamie stripped out of the uniform she was wearing, stood in the small room and let the pulse vibrations do their job. It had the added bonus of being relaxing, something the twenty-five year old acting commanding officer of the Federation's flagship truly needed. She could just imagine the riot act that Starfleet Command is going to give her when comms are back up. Jamie knew it would be nothing compared to what Pike would say to her.

He usually gave her a wide berth when she did something as long as she didn't break regs but she knew he wasn't going to be happy with her in command of his ship. If she was being honest, she wasn't happy about it either. She shouldn't be in command, she shouldn't have been the only one to figure it out, she shouldn't have had to relieve Spock of command in order for him to see the logic in her actions but at this point she should be used to being the one to fix the problem. People thought she was careless and reckless but she wasn't, she's just been in too many life or death situations to always play it safe.

She turned off the controls for the sonics, pulled on the t-shirt and shorts that Sulu gave her, tossed her clothes in the laundry recycler and left the bathroom. Sulu glanced at her from where he was sitting with food in his mouth. He swallowed, "Doc said we should all get something to eat."

"Thanks, Hikaru," she chuckled. He was just finishing up but he motioned for her to take a seat and slid a bowl to her.

"Stop thanking me. I'm gonna grab a shower," Sulu told her as he got up.

She nodded and ate the food in front of her; Bones would kill her if she didn't. Jamie wasn't picky, she'd eat just about anything; almost starving to death has that effect on people. Tarsus Four survivors weren't really secret but Jamie and her brother being there wasn't exactly public knowledge; they were each listed under a set of obvious aliases. Heaven forbid the public learned that not only were George Kirk's children were mixed up in that mess, but one of them died because of it. Jamie wasn't in the habit of thinking about it, let alone, talking about it.

She finished eating, put the bowl in the recycler and looked around the room. She hoped that they didn't kick her out of Starfleet for this. She wouldn't mind having a room like this on a ship, on this ship, but that seemed to be an impossible dream now. Jamie was almost sure that she'll be lucky not to get tossed in a penal colony for basically stealing a starship.

"They aren't gonna kick you out."

She looked in his direction, "Huh?"

Sulu smiled as he stood in the door to the bathroom with a towel around his waist, "You said you'll 'be lucky not to get tossed in a penal colony.' They wouldn't do that. How you ended up with command may not have been normal but it was valid. The captain accepted you on the ship, so, how you got on doesn't matter. Spock shouldn't have jettisoned you, but you went to our outpost and transported back with help. As the first officer, Captain Pike made it your job to question Spock's actions. You knew something was wrong with him, even when none of us backed you up. I'm sorry about that, by the way. You saved the world, Jamie. The billions of people down there owe you their lives. The brass would be idiots if they tried to kick you out of Starfleet, let alone, arrest you for doing what you had to do to save their asses."

She smiled a small smile, "It's just been my luck that doing the right thing doesn't always end well." Understatement of her life. He had crossed the room and stood in front of her. Jamie was surprised when he pulled her out of the chair and into a hug. It took her a moment but she eventually wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

"No one on this ship, including Commander Spock, is going to let the brass hang you out to dry. I promise."

Jamie doesn't remember the last time she had a real hug. Bones and Pike weren't exactly the touchy-feely types. Gaila gave out hugs but she was the flirty hugger. And she's been with a few guys, but it was more about scratching an itch than anything else.

It's been a long time since someone wrapped their arms around her and told her it would be okay; it was well before her world went to hell on Tarsus Four. She didn't realize that she was crying until he pulled back and wiped the tears off her face with his thumbs. "Sorry."

He chuckled, "Don't be. I don't mind having a pretty girl crying all over me." Jamie laughed. "There's that 'Kirk Smile' that everybody talks about. The one that lights up the room." She smiled even more as she tried to hide her face from him but he wasn't having it. "Don't you dare hide." He took her hands and pulled him away from her face and to his sides.

Jamie suddenly realized that they were very close and he wasn't wearing anything except a towel but she couldn't bring herself to move away. Sulu is an attractive guy -okay he's hot- she wasn't blind. He was tall and thin but in amazing shape and at the moment, he was pressed against her. "Hikaru."

The atmosphere of the room changed almost instantly when his molten chocolate eyes locked with her bright electric blues. Jamie could feel her heart going a thousand miles an hour; she could almost feel his heart beating too. She should back away, she really should but something wouldn't let her, something was keeping her rooted to that spot.

"We shouldn't," she whispered, more to herself then him. This wasn't the smartest idea in the world. He nodded but didn't move.

"I know," Hikaru whispered back right before he kissed her, devouring her mouth. She wasn't sure when she moved but her hands found their way to his chest. His skin was warm and firm under her fingers as she slid her hands around his neck to pull him even closer.

He held her against him; one of his arms anchoring her body to his, the other hand was tangled in her long, blonde hair. The kiss was demanding and intoxicating, all rational thought disappeared from Jamie's mind when he slipped his tongue in her mouth.

Slowly, he raised the shirt she was wearing over her head, his fingers gliding over her skin, leaving a trail of electricity in his wake. Jamie heard him suck in a breath at the realization that there was nothing under her shirt. Jamie was caught off guard when he scooped her up and lowered her onto his bed, tugging the shorts off her body as he did. She didn't have to do much to get the towel off him, all she did was pull.

Hikaru pressed himself on top of her and soon they were so entwined that it was hard to tell where one of them ended and the other began. He searched her face for a minute, no doubt seeking approval –which she gave- before sliding into her.

Jamie could feel every inch of him. She was so lost in the feel of him against her body, his hands on her skin, and his lips on hers. This wasn't love, they both knew it, it wasn't even about lust. They survived something that took so many lives and while they weren't dead, there was a part of them that needed to feel something real and alive.

When he picked up speed, she felt like she might've died and just didn't realize it, he was pushing her towards the edge. "Hikaru," it came out as a chocked sob, she was so close.

He moved harder and faster, "Let go, I got you." His words sent her shattering into a million pieces. He was right behind her; he moved a few more times before he exploded, mumbling her name. For a long while, they just laid there, wrapped in each other; Jamie didn't know for how long. "You okay?" He ran his fingers over the discolored skin on her side and her neck.

"Yea, I'm good, I've had worse," Jamie sighed, reaching up to touch a sore spot on her neck. She doesn't know the when or where of all her injuries, one of the nurses checked her over but she didn't keep track of anything other than almost getting choked to death a few times.

"That isn't comforting, at all," he whispered against her shoulder.

She chuckled and nodded, "I know, but it's the truth." They moved themselves under the blanket without bothering to put any clothes on. Jamie rested her head on his shoulder and felt his hand drawing circles on her back before she drifted to sleep in his arms.

* * *

AN: As always, I don't own 'em.


	2. Chapter 2

Lieutenant Sumner is loud. Jamie was asleep when he came stomping into the room. She heard Sulu talking to him, "Trying to sleep." The Engineer had the gull to ask what he did that was so important, so Sulu told him. "Beat up Romulans on Vulcan then flew us back to Earth so that Kirk and Spock could rescue Pike and save the planet. Oh, and I flew us out of that singularity. Now, shut up."

Sulu tightened his hold on her as the engineer whispered that he was sorry and she didn't hear anything else until Sulu woke her up a few hours later. Jamie let out a groan before she opened her eyes, taking in the fact that he was already dressed.

"I got you a uniform and some coffee. We all planned to let you get more sleep but McCoy says that Pike's awake and asking for you." She nodded and glanced at his roommate, who was asleep and facing away from her.

She sat up in his bed, "Hikaru…"

He cut her off, "I won't make a big deal out of it if you won't."

"Fair enough," Jamie nodded. "I'll see you on the bridge?"

"Yes, ma'am. Somebody's gotta fly this thing."

* * *

Pike wasn't happy. This wasn't the first time he's given her a dressing down but it was the first time he yelled at her since she's known him. She was expecting it but she wasn't expecting it to hurt so damn much. Jamie wanted to curl up in a ball and die when she realized that Pike didn't think she was good enough. He didn't think she could do it, the only reason he didn't hand off command to someone else was because there was a lack of options.

She offered to step down but Spock, Scotty and Sulu all refused to take command. They claimed to be emotionally compromised, busy keeping the ship together, and less experienced than Jamie, in that order. She didn't know how real their responses where, just that they left her in the chair to her mentor's dismay.

She was not happy when she walked onto the bridge. Uhura glared at her from the moment she showed up and her day only got worse after talking to the brass. There was so much stuff to do and it seemed like she was the only one on her side. There came a point where she was counting down until the end of shift in her head.

'_You alright?_' her PADD lit up with the message from her helmsman.

'_Nope… not even a little,_' she replied.

He turned in his chair to glance at her, she shook her head, Jamie wasn't talking about it right now. She bolted from the bridge as soon as the shift was over without telling anyone where she was going.

* * *

"How did you find me?" It was well after their shift ended and Jamie was in a Jefferies tube helping the engineers.

"Lieutenant Commander Scott told me. Move over."

She had been in Engineering for hours; she figured that it was the only way to have some peace. She should've realized that someone would come looking for her eventually. Jamie chuckled but did as he asked, "So, what can I do for you, Sulu?"

"Talked to McCoy. He told us what Pike and the brass said. You okay?" Sulu asked. She nodded but she wasn't okay and he knew it. "You're a crappy liar."

"I'm really not," she shook her head. "I would've died a long time ago if I was. Hand me that." Sulu gave her the tool near his leg.

"Wanna tell me what's bothering you. McCoy says you won't talk to him, either."

"I won't talk to him because I have nothing to say to him. Pike either, aside from command stuff that I have to pass along that I have no choice about. The long and short of it is that they don't think I can do this. Pike is the closest thing I've ever had to a dad and Bones is my best friend and... You saw Bones on the bridge; he didn't back me up at all. Pike… Pike is disappointed, I can tell. He told me he didn't want me in the chair. He was trying to get one of you to take it. I don't know why I thought he'd care," Jamie sighed. "I feel like such an idiot. I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for him, I have done everything he's ever asked, with people judging me every step of the way. I took all that crap thinking that Pike had my back. I know he didn't mean for me to be in command but he'd be dead and Earth would be gone. I'm used to the brass giving me shit but for the only person who believed in me to suddenly stop believing, hurts. You know?" He nodded as he wiped the tears from her face. "Here I am, crying in the Jefferies… maybe he's right."

"I don't think he's right. I think he's tired, in pain and upset and he's taking it out on you because you're an easy target. And because you can handle it. Once he realizes the reality of what he said, he'll apologize. It can't be easy, getting tortured."

She shrugged, "It sucks. Been there, done that."

Sulu gave her a look, "The scars on your back?"

She figured that he had noticed and just didn't say anything. She nodded, "Tarsus Four. You ever hear of Samuel and Jai Dawson?" He'd seen the list, it was part of the Federation History classes for second and third year cadets.

Hikaru nodded, he didn't seem fazed by that bit of information, it actually seemed like something in his mind clicked. "Instead of George Samuel Kirk junior and his sister Jamie. I figured that you went through something. There aren't many people who could take a beating from Romulans, a Vulcan and then more Romulans and still walk around afterward with nothing more than a bunch of bruises… there isn't that much endurance training in the universe. If memory serves, Samuel and Jai had parents and a brother; Jeffery, Marie and James Dawson?"

"Aunt, uncle and cousin. Winona dumped me and Sam on them, apparently space was more important to her and my stepdad was… _handsy_. I'm the only one of the five Dawson's to make it, even though the list says I didn't. I don't like talking about it… not that anybody cares."

"I care. Why do you think I came looking for you? Someone has to make sure that you're okay. Friends don't let friends mope alone," he told her.

"No, friends don't let friends mope without ice cream, Jamie couldn't help but smile. "You should know that being my friend is dangerous; people around me either get hurt or end up dead. Just giving you fair warning."

"Well, too late because I'm already your friend," he laughed. "And as you know, I can take care of myself. Now, you said something about ice cream. Mint chocolate chip?"

She smiled and nodded, "Spying on me, Hikaru?"

"Nope… lucky guess, come on," Sulu said, offering her his hand. Jamie finished what she was working on and followed him to the galley.

* * *

One more day. They would be home in one more day. Jamie had just wrapped up a staff meeting when Uhura approached her, "Captain, everyone has contacted their family, everyone except you."

"I'm good, Lieutenant," Jamie said with a small smile. Bones and Sulu looked in their direction; both men were well aware about Jamie's family.

"But, your mother is…" Uhura started. Jamie cut her off.

"I know where she is. I don't want or need to talk to Commander Thomas." Jamie really didn't want to have this conversation but Uhura wasn't going to quit.

"She's your mother."

Jamie took a breath, "No, she's the bitch that threw me and my brother away. I have spent more time with Bones' mom in the past three years than I've spent with Winona in my entire life." A look crossed the communications officer's face and Jamie knew she was going to regret this but she couldn't help herself. "She abandoned us, Uhura… we got shuffled from one person to the next until she married Frank and left us with him. Then, instead of protecting her children when he abused us, she sent us to live off planet with her sister's family. My aunt and uncle were great until Kodos killed them, my cousin, my brother and four thousand of our neighbors. I'm the one who planned their funerals; I was thirteen years old. My big brother bled to death in my arms and she didn't even bother to show up to lay him or her sister to rest. She doesn't give a damn about me, so excuse me if I don't what to talk to her. There's a reason that Pike and Bones are listed as my next of kin. They both know that I'm alive. Now, drop it."

Uhura looked at her, "I'm so…"

"Don't. I don't want an apology or need the pity. So don't. That's how I knew Spock was emotionally compromised, by the way. Watching the person you love more than life itself die is something that changes you, instantly. The look in Spock's eyes was the same look I've seen in the mirror every day since my brother… Every part of your being just hurts. You've spent the last three years thinking that I was nothing but a nepotistic idiot without a care in the world, well welcome to my reality, _Nyota_." Jamie walked right past her and left the room.

* * *

"You should've seen their faces," Sulu said to her as he entered their shared room.

Jamie just shrugged, "I didn't mean to say all that… I'm tired and pissed off and I just opened my big mouth."

He nodded and sat next to her on the bed, "Wanna know what I think?"

She let out a breath, "By all means."

"I think you liked it," Sulu smirked. "Telling her off. We've all seen you two around campus. Even when you do something to help Uhura, she still gives you crap and I think you enjoyed watching her face as she realized what you've been through. I doubt the others will say anything but I'd bet you anything that they're finally understanding why you do the things that you do the way you do them."

"Say that three times fast," Jamie chuckled.

"Not a chance in hell," he smiled. "You can admit it. Go on."

"There was a little satisfaction in finally telling Uhura off," she smiled. Jamie's been taking crap from that girl from day one but blurting that all out wasn't a good idea. People already think she's overly emotional… at this point, screw 'em. "You know, you're sneaky."

"How so?" he asked with a laugh.

Jamie looked at him, "You're quiet, unassuming and even mysterious but, man… I don't ever want to get on your bad side." Sulu is dangerous. Hot and dangerous but not like Jamie's hot and dangerous. People could see 'soldier' when she walked into a room but Sulu was more like a spy or a… "Ninja. You're like a fucking Space Ninja. You just sneak up on people and take 'em down with that damn sword. You gotta teach me how to use that thing."

He laughed so hard that Jamie could feel it. "We'll see. I guess it's a good thing that we're on the same side, G.I. Jane." Jamie laughed at the old reference to female soldiers; it fit her.

"I guess so."

* * *

The Admiralty is crazy. They upheld her field promotion; she's officially the youngest Captain in the fleet. Then they gave her the Enterprise… crazy. Of course, there were a lot of people pissed off by that fact.

After getting everyone home and debriefing over and over and over again, she thought that she would have some peace but her best friend finally realized why she wasn't talking to him and apologized for not backing her up, every time he saw her. She let him wallow for a few days but she could never stay mad at Bones, the man was practically her brother, so she forgave him.

She had to get away from all the paperwork, technical reports, the looks and the questions, so she decided to go for a run. Jamie would love to beat someone up but her favorite sparring partner, an Orion cadet named Ard, was dead.

Everybody was dead… well, almost everybody. The official numbers came down the pipe two weeks after they got back; eighty-one percent of their class was killed. She should've been shocked but she wasn't, she thought about it as her feet hit the pavement winding around the half-empty Starfleet Academy campus. Jamie slowed down in Crissy Field, near the water and watched as the teams recovered Nero's drill from its place next to the Golden Gate Bridge.

"Close, huh?"

She smiled at the voice, "Really close… too close." She looked at him as he moved to stand next to her. They were wearing almost the same thing; tight, black running pants and Starfleet Academy t-shirts, hers was grey and his was gold.

"Tell me about it, my family lives here," Sulu chuckled. "My mom saw the drill when it hit the water." Jamie touched his arm. She knew his family lived in San Francisco, his mom was a theoretical bio-engineer who worked for the Federation and his little sister, Yuki, was a cadet in her second year.

Jamie couldn't imagine having a family mixed in this mess. Worrying about Bones' mom and daughter was stressful enough. She got to meet the Sulu family when she got her commendation and took command of the Enterprise. She thought his dad was pretty cool. Hosato is a poet; Jamie read one of his collections, _Fire in Frost_. They talked about it for almost an hour; it was the only non-Starfleet or space conversation she'd had in weeks.

They started walking and Jamie looked at him, "I've been meaning to talk to you."

He looked at her, "Really? What's up?"

"I need a senior helm officer. You want the job?" Jamie asked him.

"Are you asking everybody in person?"

She nodded, "All four hundred and seventy-three of you. Don't make me beg, Space Ninja. Just say you're the guy to fly my ship."

"I'm your guy, G.I. Jane," he said with a smile. If only. He chuckled.

"I said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Yep. Don't worry about it though. I won't tell anybody that you have a crush on me," the pilot told her.

Jamie looked at him, "A crush, what are we… twelve?"

He shrugged, "Okay, fair enough. I won't tell anybody that you have a thing for me."

"I'm human… we all have our faults," she smiled.

Hikaru put his hands over his heart, "Ouch. I think my heart just broke."

Jamie shrugged, "That's what you get, Mister Sulu. I fight dirty."

"I noticed," he smiled. They were quiet for a moment. "What would you say if I asked you out, hypothetically?"

She thought about it for a moment, "Hypothetically, if you asked me out, I would hypothetically say yes. Hypothetically speaking."

She really should put an end to this but she couldn't bring herself to, nice guys usually don't flirt with her. Yea, she slept with him already but that wasn't out of the ordinary for her. Jamie was actually worried that she could do some real damage to the man walking next to her if they got too close. He must be a mind reader because he smiled, "Stop thinking that I'm gonna get hurt. I'll take my chances… it what makes life interesting."

"Oh yea?" she smirked. "Race you back." She took off and he was right behind her, damn those long legs of his. He beat her back to their dorm.

"Enjoy the view back there?"

She smiled, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

He laughed, "That's why I asked, ma'am." Jamie shuddered, she was never gonna get used to that.

"So, you won. Name your prize," she told him as they entered the building that they would all be moving out of soon.

"I'll get back to you on that one, Captain."


	3. Chapter 3

Moving onto the Enterprise was actually pretty cool. Jamie has never really had a space that belonged to her. Of course, someone was already in here.

"I like what you've done with the place." Jamie took a breath; she didn't know what to say to the Admiral standing in her quarters holding a holo of her with Bones' daughter, Joanna. How did he get on the ship and in her room without her knowing? "Your yeoman let me in, before you ask. Nice girl. I think I owe you an explanation."

Jamie sat down and watched Pike; he was standing but his chair was in the room. He explained that his anger at her being in command wasn't about her, it was about everyone's perceptions of her. He was asked, repeatedly, if they were engaged in a sexual relationship or if he had helped her grades in the academy by the brass during his briefings. There was a long list of officers waiting in the wings for her to fail just so they can take the ship. Jamie knew that the Admiralty was doing this for the PR. Pike was even assigned to keep an eye on her… that was part of his new job, keeping Jamie in line.

"You're gonna make mistakes, we all do. The difference is that everyone will be watching for yours. You're young, female, gorgeous and the daughter of a hero, you will always have to watch what you do. I'm upset because you don't get the growing pains that the rest of us had. You earned your stripes in battle, now you have to command in peace and it's not easy. I was hoping to let you grow and get comfortable before you took command of a ship, because I always knew you'd do it. And I am a little pissed that they gave my ship to a cadet, if only just a little."

Jamie smiled, "You think I can do this?"

He nodded, "Of course, you _can_. I just don't think you _should_ until you've had a few more years. I hope you prove me wrong. It's what you do best. No matter what, I believe in you, kid." Pike sat down next to her, "There's something I want you to do."

Jamie nodded, "What, sir?"

"The Captain's Oath… I want to hear you say it."

Technically, the Captain's Oath was different depending on the command you got. Jamie knew the oath; she said it in Archer's office when she was officially named the commanding officer of the Enterprise. She figured that Pike just wanted to make sure she know what it meant, so she took a breath and said it.

* * *

"Firing thrusters and impulse engines at your command, ma'am," Sulu said as she stepped on the bridge.

Chekov spoke next, "Veapon systems and shields on standby."

"Dock control reports ready, Captain," Uhura said with a bright smile. Still not her favorite person but they'll work on it.

Jamie smiled, "Bones!" He gave her a look and huffed. "Buckle up." He mumbled something that she didn't hear as she sat in the command chair and hit the comm, "Scotty, how we doin'?"

She heard the smile in the engineer's voice, "Dilithium chambers at maximum, Captain. Get down!" Jamie chuckled; the last part must've been for Keenser.

"Sulu, prepare to engage thrusters," she ordered the helmsman; it was time to leave.

"Permission to come aboard, Captain," she looked at Spock as he stepped off the turbolift.

"Permission granted," she stood.

"As you have yet to select a first officer, respectfully I would like to submit my candidacy. Should you desire I can provide character references."

She smiled at Spock, "It would be my honor, Commander." He nodded in amusement –yes, Vulcan amusement- and made his way to the science station. Jamie sat down, "Maneuvering thrusters, Mister Sulu."

"Thrusters on standby," her pilot told her.

She took a breath, "Take us out."

He nodded, "Aye aye, Captain."

* * *

Paperwork was a bitch, especially when you piss off the brass. They just finished up a mission on Beta III dealing with the lost USS Archon. From what Pike didn't say, something else was going on down there. Jamie would bet a bottle of Orion Whiskey that Starfleet knew what that something was. She was just glad that her team didn't get themselves killed.

The young Captain was brought out of her thoughts by the buzzer to her door going off. "Enter." Jamie looked up from the PADD she was staring at as Sulu entered.

"Hey."

She smiled, "Hi. Wanna sit?" She shifted so that there was room for him to sit with her. "You alright?" she asked as she reached over and gently touched the bruise forming under his right eye. He nodded, caught her hand and kissed her palm.

"I'm sore but I'm better now."

"That was bold," Jamie smiled. Sweet but bold.

He shifted but didn't let go of her hand. "Wasn't too much?" he asked.

She shook her head, "No... That was a good one." She felt like a teenager, blushing like a school girl whenever he talked to her. Wouldn't be so bad, except Jamie and Hikaru talked to each other a lot and people were starting to notice. They weren't a couple like Spock and Uhura but that didn't stop crew members from wondering and talking about it. She could admit that there was a thing, she wasn't sure what it was but it was there.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before he touched her cheek, "You're tired."

"What gave me away?" Jamie asked with a sigh.

"I can tell," Hikaru said as he stood up and pulled the exhausted officer to her feet, "Come on, G.I. Jane, you gotta get some sleep." She would've argued but he was right and she didn't have the energy to fight with him. Jamie was already dressed for bed in a tank top and shorts so all she had to do was get in. This wasn't the first time that Hikaru had forced her to go bed; it was better than Bones and the hypos. Her favorite helmsman kissed her temple, "In you go."

She smiled as she laid down, "Stay."

He looked at her, "You sure? I mean people…"

"Already talk. I'm not asking you to have your way with me. Stay, please."

He nodded, "Okay." Hikaru tugged off his boots, pulled his shirts over his head and took off his pants before climbing into her bed. She ordered the computer to turn off the lights as wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest, "Better?"

"Much," Jamie sighed before she drifted off into the first peaceful sleep she's had since becoming Captain.

* * *

"Okay, okay, stop watching that," Hikaru groaned. She shook her head at him.

"Come on, Hiri… this is the best part," she chuckled.

They had an interesting few days. The ship was assigned to monitor the planet Psi 2000 as it disintegrated. Spock and Lieutenant Tormolen went to the surface to retrieve the six-person science team that was there only to find that they were dead.

Long story short, Tormolen brought back a contaminant and infected a bunch of the crew before he died. Bones fixed it but not before Jamie, Spock, Sulu, Nurse Chapel, Riley and plenty others caught it. Jamie has no memory of when she was under but Spock tells her that she wasn't as bad as some of the others. He had a breakdown about his mother, Riley took over the ship, Chapel professed her love for Spock but it was Sulu that make Jamie smile when she watched the footage.

_He walked on the bridge, shirtless with katana in hand, and challenged the staff to a duel. Uhura got herself too close and he wrapped his arm around her waist, "I'll protect you, fair maiden." _

_The communications officer laughed, "Ha, keep dreaming." _

_Jamie wanted to laugh but she couldn't bring herself to. "Hey, Hiri," Jamie said. His attention turned to her as she moved closer and distracted him enough for Spock to give him that Vulcan nerve pinch thing. "Man, you gotta teach me that sometime." _

_Spock looked at the security officer next to him, "Take D'Artagnan here to sickbay."_

"Spock made a Three Musketeers reference; I can't believe he said that. I can't believe I did that. I'm so sorry, Jamie."

She chuckled, "It wasn't your fault. You got infected when you and Kevin tried to help Tormolen… which is what you should've done. The infection was like extreme intoxication. It lowered everyone's inhibitions."

He smiled, "So what did you do?" She shrugged and told him what Spock told her about her love/hate rant over the Enterprise, her frustration at people only seeing her father's legacy when they look at her and how she apparently confessed her love for someone on the ship. "Who?"

She blushed, "Just some guy."

Hikaru took her hand, "Anybody I know?"

Jamie shrugged, "Maybe."

* * *

"You know… I don't like to be summoned," she said with a smile as she entered the hydroponics lab.

Sulu was leaning against a work station, "I know but I want to show you something."

Jamie never came in here unless it had to do with a mission; she's a danger to plant life. Sulu, on the other hand, loves this place. He's got a ton of science proficiencies but botany seemed to be his favorite. Most of the lab was for official work and fresh fruits and vegetables but there was a section designated for pet projects and relaxing. Jamie followed Sulu to that section of the lab.

He stopped then looked at her, "You'll like this." He moved to stand behind her and Jamie looked at the flower growing in a small basin of water.

"That... that's a Chocolate Cosmo." Chocolate Cosmos are flowers native to Mexico that were all but extinct. They are this beautiful red, maroon-like color and they smelled like chocolate.

"It is," Sulu chuckled.

She faced him, "Aren't they almost extinct?"

"Yes, they are," he smiled. "Well, in the wild they are. I engineered this one for a girl."

Jamie smiled, "Must be some girl."

Hikaru nodded, "I happen to think she is. Happy Birthday, Jamie."

* * *

They took the ship from her. She knew it was coming but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Jamie took the punishment with her head held high. Fuck them if they think she was going to apologize for stopping Nibiru from being destroyed. She didn't argue with Pike when he told her, which shocked the hell out of him. She simply said, "_Lives are more important than regulations. I've watched too many people die to ever apologize for saving someone. If it costs me my command, so be it._"

"You okay?" It was Sulu knocking on her door.

"Nope. You heard already?"

He nodded and she let him in, "Just the senior staff. Pike is keeping everyone but Spock… he's getting transferred and you're Pike's new first."

"Yep… they took her from me and they're forcing me to swallow a demotion on my own damn ship," Jamie sighed. Sulu pulled her into a hug and she rested her head on his shoulder. "April was right."

Robert April was the captain of the old Enterprise who was believed dead until Jamie, Spock, Sulu and Hendorff found him on Phaedus IV in the middle of a civil war. He managed to take control of her ship for a little while.

As pissed off as she was, something he said struck a chord with her, "_Feeling trapped? Forced into making choices you don't want to make? They promote us because we show leadership and initiative… because we show that we make the tough choices that others can't… but once we're in the chair, they bind us with their rules and take away everything that got us the job in the first place. The Prime Directive is just a fancy way to say 'do nothing'. Sit by and watch while whole species die._"

He was right. Leaving people to die wasn't in her playbook… it just wasn't. April may have went about helping the Phaedans the wrong way but she didn't fault him for it and she told Spock as much. All this technology and knowledge is useless if not to help others.

"You did the right thing, Jamie. Even if the brass doesn't see it."

"You think so?" she mumbled into his chest. Jamie felt him chuckle.

"I was there too. I know so. We all do. If it wasn't for the fact that they were keeping you on the ship, we all would've walked. I don't think Pike likes any of this, either. I got the impression that he doesn't want your chair but he's taking it so they don't give it to some random officer that we don't know."

He was trying his damnedest to make her feel better but it wasn't helping. Before she could say anything, her communicator beeped. It was Pike; they were being called to an emergency session at HQ.

"I gotta go, something's going on."

He kissed her temple, "Go change and I'll drive."

She kissed him on the cheek, "You're a good person, Hiri."

He smiled, "So are you."

* * *

"_I believe in you, kid_."

Jamie has had her fair share of bad days and this… this was a very bad day. "Attention, crew of the Enterprise. As most of you know, Christopher Pike, former Captain of this ship, and our friend… is dead. The man who killed him has fled our system and is hiding on the Klingon homeworld, somewhere he believes we are unwilling to go. We are on our way there now. Per Admiral Marcus, it is essential that our presence go undetected. Tensions between the Federation and the Klingon Empire have been high, any provocation could lead to an all out war."

She glanced at Spock before she continued, "I will personally lead a landing party to an abandoned city on the surface of Qo'noS, where we will capture the fugitive John Harrison, and return him to Earth so he can face judgment for his actions. Alright, let's go get this son of a bitch, Kirk out."

Spock walked over to her, "Captain, I believe you made the right decision. If I can be of assistance, I would be happy to accompany you on the away team."

"You, happy?" Jamie asked with a laugh.

"I was simply attempting to use your vernacular to convey an idea."

"Thank you, Mister Spock," she smiled. She knew that she should've let another ship take this mission. They were too close, she was too close. Pike is dead. He died in Spock's arms after that lunatic shot up the Daystrom conference room with them in it.

Marcus ordered them to shoot a bunch of torpedoes at Harrison, the man responsible, but Jamie wasn't going to. Shooting anything at the Klingon homeworld is not on the table today, especially since the ship is disabled. Chekov was standing in for Scotty who quit when Jamie asked him to sign for the torpedoes. Jamie's heart broke but she wasn't going to ask her friend to go against his morals.

* * *

"Sulu, time to our destination?" she looked at the helmsman.

He glanced at her, "Twenty minutes, ma'am. But that's twenty minutes in enemy space that we weren't counting on."

"Guess we better hop to it," Jaime nodded. She turned to face Uhura and Spock. "Lieutenant, how's your Klingon?"

Uhura stood tall, "It's rusty, but it's good."

"Good, you're coming with," the captain told the other woman. "This isn't gonna be a problem, is it? You two, working together?"

The communications officer answered first, "Absolutely not."

After Uhura gave him a look and walked away, Spock replied, "Unclear."

"I'll meet you in the shuttle bay," Jamie sighed. She didn't need whatever drama they had going on. Spock nodded and left the bridge to get ready.

"Jim, you're not actually going down there, are you?" Bones walked over to her and asked. "You don't rob a bank when the getaway car has a flat tire."

Jamie smiled and hit the comm for Engineering, "I'm sure Engineering will have us all patched up by the time we get back. Isn't that right, Mister Chekov?"

"Yes, Keptin. I'll do my best, ma'am," Chekov told her.

Jamie took a breath and looked at Hikaru, "Mister Sulu, you have the con. Once we're on route, I want you to transmit a targeted comm-burst to Harrison's location. You tell him you have bunch of real big torpedoes pointed at his head. If he doesn't play nice, you're not afraid to use 'em." A look she's never seen before crossed his features. "Is that a problem?"

"No, ma'am," Hikaru sighed. "I've just never sat in the chair before."

"You're gonna do great, Hikaru," Jamie smiled. She needed to go get ready but her best friend stopped her before she got to the door.

"Jim, wait… You just sat that man down at a high stakes poker game with no cards and told him to bluff. Now, Sulu's a good man, but he is no Captain."

"Well, for the next two hours he is. Look, I know you and Spock are getting a kick outta questioning every fucking decision I make but you know me well enough to know that I would cut off my arm before I left anyone in command of this ship who couldn't handle it. Sulu is one hell of an officer. He's got this." Bones nodded as other crew members looked on. Jamie had another thought, "And enough with the metaphors, alright? That's an order." Jamie walked towards the exit, she stopped long enough to issue an order, "Mister Sulu, make sure that the K'normian ship is ready to fly." She didn't wait for a reply, she knew he'd take care of it.

She went into her quarters and changed into jeans, a loose tank top, her favorite leather jacket and her old-school combat boots before grabbing clothes for the security officers. She, Spock and Uhura met on the turbolift and heard Sulu over the intercom, "Acting Captain Sulu to shuttle bay two. Please have the trade ship we confiscated during April/Mudd incident last month, fueled and flight ready. Captain Kirk is on route to you right now."

* * *

"Mister Sulu, I think we found our man. You let him know you mean business."

"Aye, Captain," he replied over the comm. A few seconds later they all listened to him, "Attention, John Harrison. This is Captain Hikaru Sulu of the USS Enterprise. A shuttle of highly trained officers is on its way to your location. If you do not surrender to them immediately, I will launch our entire payload of advanced long-range torpedoes, currently locked on to your location. You have two minutes to confirm your compliance. Refusal to so will result in your obliteration. If you test me, you will fail."

Holy shit! She was leaving him in the chair more often. That was equal parts badass, scary and hot. She shared a glance with Uhura, who nodded her agreement.

Jamie flew the team through the area and listened to Spock as he explained to Uhura –and Jamie- that he did care despite what both women thought. The moment was ruined by the Klingons showing up and forcing them to land.

Uhura tried to talk to them but it didn't really help. Harrison –the Harrison they were sent to destroy- saved their asses and then he surrendered. She hit him… hard… a lot. She's only human.


	4. Chapter 4

Harrison gave them some coordinates and told her to examine the torpedoes. Part of her didn't want to listen to him but there was another part of her that was curious. Bones and Spock objected –she expected nothing less- and then Spock dropped the bomb that their new weapons expert, Doctor Wallace, was actually Doctor Carol Marcus. The Admiral's daughter, who happened to have her own suspicions about the torpedoes, so she snuck on the ship to examine them. That sealed the deal for Jamie.

"Captain on the bridge," Sulu announced as she walked onto the bridge.

"Mister Sulu, have Doctors Marcus and McCoy landed on the planetoid yet?" she asked.

He nodded, "Yes, ma'am. They're moving the torpedo into position now."

Jamie took a breath as she stood next to him, "Good. Anything from the Klingons?"

"Not yet," Sulu shook his head, "but if we're stuck here much longer, they will find us."

"Lieutenant Uhura, did you let Starfleet know we have Harrison in custody?" she asked the communications officer.

Uhura nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

"Hello! Keptin, can you hear me?" Chekov said over the ship's comm system from Engineering.

She hit the comm, "Mister Chekov, give me some good news."

"We found the leak, ma'am, but the damage is substantial! We are working on it," the young genius told her. That made sense.

"Any idea what caused it?" Jamie already knew what his answer would be but she needed to hear it anyway.

"No, ma'am, but I accept full responsibility," Chekov told her. Jamie and Sulu shared a look.

"Something tells me it wasn't your fault. Stay on it," she ordered before cutting the communication. Jamie was starting to think that this whole thing was a set up, that Marcus sent them out here to get killed.

"Captain, the shuttle is standing by," Sulu told her. Jamie gave Uhura a look and the communications officer opened a channel so that they could hear Bones and Carol.

"Bones, thanks for helping out. Doctor Marcus asked for the steadiest hands on the ship," Jamie couldn't help but tease him just a little bit.

"You know, when I dreamed about being stuck on a deserted planet with a gorgeous woman, there was no torpedo," her best friend grumbled.

"Doctor McCoy, may I remind you, you are not there to flirt," she chuckled.

"So, how can these legendary hands help you Doctor Marcus?" he did it just to spite her. Everyone on the bridge chuckled.

"Bones," Jamie said. She was gonna kick him.

Carol took over the conversation, "To understand how powerful these weapons are we need to open the warhead. To do that, we need to access the fuel compartment. Unfortunately for us, the warheads on these weapons are live."

"Sweetheart, I once a performed an emergency C-section on a pregnant Gorn. Octuplets. Let me tell you, those little bastards bite. I think I can work some magic on your missile," Bones told the other officer. Jamie and Sulu looked at each other; Bones flirting was not something that most of the crew was used to. Jamie has seen it a bunch of times, hell, she's flirted with him before.

"Doctor McCoy, there's a bundle of fiber optic-cables against the inner casing," Carol responded to Bones' statement professionally. "You'll need to cut the twenty-third wire down. Whatever you do, do not touch anything else. Do you understand?"

Serious Bones returned, "Right. The thought never crossed my mind."

"Doctor McCoy, wait for my word," Carol's voice returned. "I'm re-routing the detonation processor. Are you ready?"

"And raring," he answered. Carol uttered 'good luck.' A few seconds later, there was a scream.

"Ma'am, the torpedo just armed itself," Sulu looked at her.

Darwin, who was sitting in for Chekov put a clock on the viewscreen, "The warhead's gonna detonate in thirty seconds!"

Jamie heard Bones ask, "What the hell happened?! I can't get my arm out!"

"Get a lock on their signal, beam them back right now," Jamie ordered, despite the feeling in her chest like she couldn't breath.

"The transporter cannot differentiate between Doctor McCoy and the torpedo. We cannot beam back one without the other," Spock said, killing her hope a little.

"Doctor Marcus, can you disarm it?" Breathe, Jamie, breathe.

Carol was frantic but calm, "I'm trying. I'm trying."

"Jim, get her the hell out of here!" Bones said, still trying to be the gentleman even with his arm in a torpedo. She could, and probably should, beam Carol up but the weapons officer changed her mind.

"No. If you beam me back, he dies! Just let me do it!" Carol told her. Jamie stood between the helmsman and navigator, listening as Bones counted down.

"Ten, nine, eight..."

"Standing by to transport Doctor Marcus on your command, Captain," Sulu informed her.

Bones kept counting, "Four, three..."

They all heard Carol mutter, "Shit!" Then they heard nothing.

"Deactivation successful, Captain," Sulu told her. Jamie knew that much but she needed to know if her best friend was still there.

"Doctor McCoy, are you alright?" Jamie asked. Please, please, please, she can't lose another brother. "Bones?"

"Jim, you're gonna wanna see this." She almost cried at the sound of Bones' voice. Sulu reached over and grabbed her hand, ignoring the fact that they were on the bridge.

"He's okay, Jamie. He's okay," Hikaru whispered. She closed her eyes and took a breath before she nodded.

* * *

She was right about Marcus, he was crazy and he was trying to use them and Harrison –no, Khan- to start a war. They were all pawns, Jamie, Khan, the Enterprise. The torpedoes were even full of Khan's crew members. "_My crew is my family, Kirk. Is there anything you would not do for your family?_" he asked her.

She really didn't want to understand where he was coming from but it was impossible for her not to. There was nothing she wouldn't do for the people on this ship. That was how she found herself in the warp core, trying to fix the misaligned housings as the Enterprise fell out of the sky.

Scotty found a ship at Khan's coordinates and he stopped it from destroying them. She and Khan boarded it to stop Marcus –and rescue Carol- before the lunatic beamed them back in order to kill them. She fixed it, she fixed the ship and crawled back the way she came. Jamie could already feel the radiation destroying her body; Bones wasn't going be able to fix this. She leaned against the glass and registered Spock on the other side, "How's the ship?"

"Out of danger," he told her.

"Good," she sighed.

"You saved the crew," her first officer told her.

"You used what he wanted against him," Jamie chuckled. "That's a nice move."

"It is what you would have done," Spock pointed out. It really was.

"And this... this is what you would have done. It was only logical," she told him. They just looked at each other for a moment; Jamie knew she was dying. "Take care of them. Bones thinks that he doesn't deserve to be happy, but he does. Monty will go nuts if you don't focus his brilliance. Pasha... has to have time to be a kid, because he still is. Kevin has lost so much already, this is gonna break his heart. Nyota is tougher than all of us, but you know that. And Hiri… my Space Ninja, keep an eye on him for me. I didn't get a chance to tell him..." There are so many things that she wanted to tell them all, especially Hikaru but she didn't have the time, or the energy. She took a labored breath, "I'm scared, Spock. Help me not be. How do you choose not to feel?"

"I do not know," he told her, tears running down his face. "Right now, I am failing."

"I want you to know why I couldn't let you die...why I went back for you," she needed to say it. He had to know why.

"Because you are my friend," Spock said, beating her to it. She placed her hand on the glass in the Vulcan salute and Spock did the same.

There are worse ways to go, dying for people you love isn't that bad. There was only one of her and a few hundred of them, it was worth it. Jamie closed her eyes and everything faded out.

* * *

She gasped as she woke up and Bones didn't disappoint, "Oh, don't be so melodramatic. You were barely dead. It was the transfusion that really took its toll. You were out cold for two weeks."

"Transfusion?" she asked as she blinked her eyes open.

"Your cells were heavily irradiated. We had no choice." Who would…?

"Khan? You gave me Khan's blood?" Jamie looked at her best friend.

"Once we caught him, I synthesized a serum from his super blood. Tell me, are you feeling uh... homicidal, power-mad, despotic?"

"No more than usual," she scoffed. "How'd you catch him?"

"I didn't," he smirked before looking over his shoulder. Spock stepped closer.

"You saved my life," Jamie smiled.

Bones rolled his eyes, "Uhura and I had something to do with it, you know."

"You saved my life, Captain and the lives of many oth..."

Jamie cut him off, "Spock, just...thank you."

"You are welcome, Jim," he said with a small smile.

"Bones," she looked around the room as they helped her sit up, "I heard Hikaru… was I dreaming that?"

"No, you weren't dreaming," her best friend chuckled. "He went downstairs for coffee. He's been here more than me. Are you two a couple or something?"

"Who?" Sulu walked into the room.

"You," Bones moved so that he could see her; the lieutenant looked like he was gonna cry.

"I'm fine, Hiri," Jamie tried to tell him but he just gave her a look.

"I don't know about you but I don't define comas as being fine," Hikaru told her.

"Yea, well, I've had worse," she smiled. "I heard you talking to me. In Japanese? And someone in Russian?"

Bones and Spock left the room as Hikaru stepped closer, he smiled, "I was reading. So, were Pavel, Spock, Kevin and Nyota. I know you like classic literature and my dad's poetry… doc thought it was a good idea so we passed it around, reading it in different languages. Dad was here too, he'll be glad to know you're alright."

"And you?"

He took her hand and smiled, "I'm relieved and happy and a whole bunch of other things that I can't put into words at the moment. I'll admit that I was not fun to be around the first couple days. None of us were, really, but we knew that we had to take care of the crew and the Enterprise. You'll be proud when you see everything they managed to do. No complaints, no arguments, they're all amazing."

"That's good but it's not what I meant, Hiri," she whispered.

He took a breath, "When they ran onto the bridge, Uhura had tears running down her face and Spock was like a madman. I knew something happened to you before anyone was brave enough to say the words. My heart… my heart broke when Uhura told us what happened. I almost went after Khan myself but I was needed on the bridge and I knew that's where you would want me, so that's where I stayed. I'm just glad you're here. Don't do that to me again."

"You know I can't promise that," Jamie sighed. "It was me for all of you. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"I need you to do me a favor, then."

"Name it."

"Don't tell doc you said that and behave while you're here. We all know you hate hospitals but McCoy has been working himself into the ground to keep you alive, don't give him a hard time," he told her as he sat on the bed and leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"Can do."

He gave her a look, "You're tired."

She chuckled, "You would think being unconscious for two weeks would help. Wanna read some more, I like your voice?"

He smiled and grabbed the PADD, "As you wish, milady."

* * *

Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough, Bones kept her for another week and tomorrow was the last day before he let her go home. It wasn't all bad, she had a steady stream of visitors. The brass wasn't exactly pleasant but Jamie made it through alright; Spock gave her a warning before they showed up. She looked outside at some point, the city was a mess.

"Hey, beautiful." She looked up from the PADD that she shouldn't be reading and smiled.

"Hey, Space Ninja. What's up?"

"I'm springing ya," he smiled. "Doc gave me the all clear. Go change."

Jamie caught the bag he tossed at her and jumped up to get out of her hospital gear. She didn't know why Bones let her out early and she didn't care. Apparently, a side effect of super blood was being restless. They avoided leaving through the front of the building and they were covert in sneaking out the side and into a hovercar. Sulu got her home while keeping her away from the press and paparazzi.

"Home, sweet home," he joked as they entered the apartment.

"Nope, Enterprise is home but she's hurting."

Scotty gave her the rundown… after he yelled at her for doing something so stupid, scaring the shit out of him and making him cry. Pasha and Kevin gave her the riot act too; she was so proud. Her apartment was mostly how she left it with the exception of being cleaner, fresh food in the fridge and three, big footlockers.

"That one is your stuff from the ship. Engineering made us all clear everything out; don't worry, I packed your stuff myself and brought it here… so some random officer wasn't snooping through your life. The other two are Pike's stuff. Spock made sure that all of his belongings were packed with care. The big stuff is in storage," Hikaru told her. Jamie nodded as she ran her fingers over the Admiral's name and the tag designating her as the owner of his worldly possessions. "He loved you, you know that, right?"

"I loved him," she said with a nod. "He was the only parent I ever really had. I saw him… when I was in my coma."

"Wanna talk about it?" he stood behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

She turned and looked up at him, "I don't know what to do… how to do this. How do I wrap my head around the fact that he died and I died but I'm not dead anymore and he still is…?" She felt the tears fall down her face but she didn't care.

Jamie didn't get a chance to process any of this, she was running at full speed since Daystrom. Then she died. The official story was just a coma but she died and her friends fought like hell to bring her back. She saw the numbers; there were thousands dead on the ground and almost a hundred lost on the Enterprise.

She rested her head on Hikaru's shoulder as he ran his hand up and down her back, "It just sucks, Hiri."

"Yea, it does but I can't even pretend that I'm not happy that you're here... I... I love you," he whispered.

She looked up at him, "I love you too, I should've said it before... but I'm stubborn."

He chuckled, "I know."

* * *

Even when he was pissed at her, Pike was still on her side. He was the father that she didn't have growing up. Going to the private memorial for him was… difficult. A lot of the crew went with her and she was grateful for it. Barnett gave Chris' flag to Jamie, "_He'd want you to have it._" She nodded and accepted it, what else was she going to do.

Jamie held it to her chest and sat there long after everything was over. The crazy thing was that her crew, her family, sat with her the whole time.

"When I first met Pike, I was three sheets to the wind and he gave this speech about rising above and blah blah blah. All I kept thinking was that he was crazy for trying to recruit me. Second best thing that ever happened to me," Bones told them.

"I blew my first impression with that damn external inertial dampener," Sulu chuckled. "Never thought I'd live that down. Crazy part is that… that mistake saved our asses. Well, that and Jamie."

"He was my dad," Jamie whispered. "He was my dad and he died in Spock's arms."

They all looked at her and Spock spoke, "He was proud of you, Jim. He wanted you to be safe, happy and loved, if you remember nothing else, remember that." They all knew that Spock mind melded with Pike, he didn't talk about what he saw until now. Jamie took comfort in the idea that George, Sam, Chris and even Spock's mom were all keeping an eye on them.

She smiled, "I know."

* * *

"If McCoy asks, we took the hiking trail. He'll kill me if he finds out that I took you rock climbing."

Jamie chuckled, "My lips are sealed, Hiri. Bones is hypo crazy."

"Yes he is," Hikaru smiled. "It's a little freighting." She shook her head and kept climbing.

Bones was being his usual overprotective self but Jamie was done sitting around. Sulu asked her out and she –obviously- said yes. Since she's spent the last month cooped up, he opted for something a little more up her alley. Actual, outdoors rock climbing was a pretty cool date.

Jamie loved the fact that Hikaru was almost as crazy as she was, it meant she didn't have to talk him into stuff because he jumped at the chance. They were in Yosemite National Park climbing El Capitan. They weren't going for the record, just the view. They could've gone up the trail, it was safer than climbing, but they both shuddered at the idea of going up the easy way.

"Check out that view," she smiled as they got to the top and looked over the park. Jamie reached over and took Hikaru's hand. "Thanks for bringing me here."

"You're welcome."

There was something on his mind and she was dying to know what it was, "Spill."

"I almost forgot how good you are at reading people," he smiled. "I should've asked you this sooner. If the last month and a half taught me anything, it's that I don't want to have regrets. I almost lost you once. Will you be my girlfriend?"

"You want me to be your girlfriend?" Jamie asked with a touch of disbelief.

"Yea. I love you, you love me. I don't see why not. I know it won't be easy because you're my CO but you're kinda already are my girl, so…"

Jamie's chest did a little flip-flop; he wanted her. She shouldn't be that surprised, they've spent the last year dancing around this subject; a couple but not quite. He was asking the question that they've been avoiding.

She stepped into his arms and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, "I'd like that."

* * *

"Hiri and Captain Kirk, sittin' in a tree, K. I. S. S. I. N. G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then a baby in a baby carriage," Jamie and Hikaru laughed at his sister. The pair told their family and friends that they were a couple –no one was surprised- but they didn't tell Starfleet. It would come out eventually; they planned to worry about it then.

"Yuki, you do realize that they both outrank you, sweetie?" Yoshiko Sulu, Hikaru's mother, informed his sister.

"They wouldn't use their ranks for evil… would you?"

Jamie shook her head at the youngest Sulu's question, "Nope. I'm not that kind of officer. You're just poking fun at your brother, not a big deal. And for the thousandth time, it's just Jamie."

Yuki smiled at her mother, "See mom. No big deal." Hirkaru's parents invited them all over for a 'You saved the world... again' cookout. The whole crew were all given temporary duty assignments while the Enterprise was in the dock at Starbase One, so it was a welcome break.

Jamie, Uhura, Sulu and Spock were all assigned to the academy teaching classes or overseeing practical application courses. Bones was working at Starfleet Medical HQ. Carol and Kevin were assisting the research department. Scotty and Chekov –with input from Jamie and Spock- were fixing the ship. They were due to go back into the black and the Sulu's thought they could use some relaxation.

* * *

"There will always be those who mean to do us harm. To stop them, we risk awakening the same evil within ourselves. Our first instinct is to seek revenge when those we love are taken from us. But that's not who we are. We are here today to rechristen the USS Enterprise, and to honor those who lost their lives, nearly one year ago. When Christopher Pike first gave me his ship he had me recite the Captain's oath. Words I didn't appreciate at the time. Now I see them as a call for us to remember who we once were, and who we must be again. Those words; Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of Starship Enterprise. Her ongoing mission, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilization. To boldly go where no one has gone before."

She was so nervous about giving this speech but Hiri and Bones told her that it was good. The looks that the crew gave her while she spoke told Jamie that she did a good job. She couldn't believe that it was a year already. So much had happened, some of it good, some of it bad. She was ready to begin the next phase of her life, to see the universe that Pike always told her about with the people she loved the most.

* * *

"It's hard to get out of it once you got a taste. Isn't that right, Mister Sulu?" Jamie asked as she walked onto the bridge.

"You have no idea... Well, maybe you do," Hikaru said with a bright smile as he stood from the chair. "Besides, 'Captain Sulu' does have a nice ring to it."

"It does sound nice," she nodded, "maybe one day." Sulu caught the double meaning in her statement.

He winked and stepped aside, "The chair is yours, Captain."

Jamie sat down and hit the comm, "How's our core, Scotty?"

"Purring like a kitten, Captain. She's ready for a long journey," the engineer chuckled.

"Excellent," she smiled before hitting the communication and glancing at her best friend. "Come on, Bones. Don't be grumpy, this is gonna be fun."

"You always say that," Bones shook his head. "Five years in space. God help me." Jamie rolled her eyes.

"Doctor Marcus," Jamie smiled at the other woman. "I'm glad you could be a part of the family."

"It's nice to have a family," the weapons expert told her with a smile. Jamie had to agree, it wasn't normal but these people were her family.

Jamie stood next to her Vulcan brother and looked at him, "Spock, where should we go?"

They looked out the viewscreen at the vastness of space, "As a mission of this duration has never been attempted, I defer to your good judgment, Captain." Jamie chuckled; all it took was her dying.

She sat down in her chair, "Mister Sulu, take us out."

Hikaru smiled, "Aye, Captain."

This was gonna be fun.

* * *

This story has a sequel 'Just Call Me the Dread Pirate Roberts'


End file.
